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Add one of these delish starters to your

festive menu (each serves 6).

Eggplant and garlic dip

Preheat oven to 210°C (fan-forced). Spray a large (400g) eggplant with cooking spray and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until skin blisters and flesh is very soft. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C. Meanwhile, cut 1 x 67g wholemeal pita bread into wedges and place on a baking tray. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until crispy. Peel skin off eggplant and place flesh in a food processor with 2 garlic cloves, peeled, 130g (½ cup) Greek-style yoghurt, 1 Tbsp tahini and juice of ½ lemon. Process to combine. Serve dip with pita chips

and 2 carrots, peeled, cut into sticks, 2 lebanese cucumbers and 1 red capsicum, both cut into sticks.

PER SERVE 511kJ, protein 5g, total fat 3.5g (sat. fat 0.7g), carbs 14g, fibre 6g, sodium 105mg

• Carb exchanges 1• GI estimate low

Celery, radish and parmesan salad

In a bowl, combine 3 sticks thinly diagonally sliced celery, 6 radishes, thinly sliced into rounds, 1 cup mint leaves, 1 cup flat leaf-parsley leaves and 2 lebanese cucumbers, peeled into ribbons.

In a jar, whisk 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp smoky paprika and freshly ground black pepper. Pour into salad and toss to combine. Serve topped with 20g

parmesan shavings and zest of 1 lemon. PER SERVE 251kJ, protein 2.4g, total fat 3.5g (sat. fat 1g), carbs 3g, fibre 3g, sodium 82mg • Carb exchanges ¼

• GI estimate low • Gluten free • Lower carb